Spain Paid Ransom to Free Hostages Held by Al Qaeda North Africa
Spain has paid Al Qaeda North Africa (Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb or AQIM) some 7 million Euros to release two Spanish men abducted by the organization active in the Sahel region. Officially working for a Barcelona-based “humanitarian” agency, the two Spanish men, Roque Pascual and Albert Vilalta have been detained since November 2009.
